God of 'Em All

Several years ago Mister Bill and I had a very secluded get-away. He enjoyed the wildlife while I enjoyed the quiet screened porch. One thing we discovered was how the remoteness of the place made the night sky so much more brilliant! On occasion, we would brave the darkness and ride down the dirt road to an open field; as we looked up into the night sky, it seemed we could almost touch the stars. As I recall those times, I think of this: "Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and th deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine." ("The Valley of Vision Prayer"). When life is good and pleasant, we tend to call-out less to The Lord, sing less of His eternal goodness - if we're honest, we give God less of our time. But when the troubles come, He's the first we think-of, turn-to, call-to. Jesus declares, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Revelation 22:13 ESV). Before there was me ... He WAS. And, after me ... He WILL BE. Oh, how I need evermore reminding that everywhere in-between ... He IS! Indeed, I may see Him in the darker moments, but He is always there - in the bad and the good moments of life. Job said, " For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth." (Job 19:25 ESV). Life for us happens in the in-between moments - full of troubles and sorrows as well as joys and celebrations. Hallelujah and praise to our God Who is ... God of 'em all.

He Restores the Soul

As we are teased with hints of the fall season, do you hear the mountains calling? The vibrant and muted fall colors will soon emerge and many will take-to-the-roads to enjoy their beauty! One of my favorite sights are the valleys between the mountains. Perhaps I'm drawn to them as because we've just come down a steep grade and soon to begin yet another climb. David's words from Psalm 23 resonate with me - "He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul" (Verses 2-3a ESV). Our cars are well-equipped for those mountain roads - automatically shifting between low and high gears. Our souls, however ... not so much. We are desperately in need of The Great Shepherd Who knows every struggle of the human soul, the lack of strength and stamina to persevere in the ups and downs of our lives. Arthur Bennett (1915-1994), an English-born minister who studied the work of the Puritans, compiled and published a book of prayers based on Puritan meditations. In his introductory poem, "The Valley of Vision," these words are often my own personal prayer: "Let me learn ... that the way down is the way up - that to be low is to be high - the broken heart is the healed heart - to have nothing is to possess all - to bear the cross is to wear the crown - to give is to receive - that the valley is the place of vision." Those mountain valleys invite me into their peacefulness and serenity, much like The Shepherd welcomes me into His Presence. Are you coming down from a mountainous descent? Is there an intimidating mountain looming ahead of you? Pause. Remember. Take heart. The valley is where ... He restores the soul.

Our Rest

Have you ever been in a spot where you needed an exit strategy - a kind-and-gentle way out? Feelings of frustration can and do overwhelm us at times; the only logical resolution sometimes seems to [as the old wild west saying goes] "get out of Dodge." It's safe to conclude this as David's predicament in Psalm 11: "For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart." (Verse 1 NIV). Even in the smoothest of waters, none of us really know how close to calamity and chaos we really are. Right now, I'm sitting in a quiet place listening to peaceful piano music but [honestly] I'm not feeling the peace I should - the confidence David then speaks of: "The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; His eyes examine them. The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence He hates with a passion." (Verses 4-5 NIV). You see, the enemy isn't actually a person or a place or a thing; no, the enemy is the fear and doubt of the soul, the failure to rest altogether and completely in these truths: "The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!" (Psalm 99:1 ESV) ... "The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as King forever." (Psalm 29:10 ESV) ... "The LORD sits enthroned forever; He has established His throne for justice." (Psalm 9:7 ESV) ... "God sits on His holy throne." (Psalm 47:8 ESV). He is God over all things - yes, even those times when we want an exit, to run and flee "like a bird" (Psalm 11:1). David finishes this psalm, "the LORD is righteous - He loves justice - the upright will see His face" (Verse 7). If we are to live by faith and not by sight (Romans 1:17), we put all thoughts of running aside and trust The One Who remains on His throne and King over all all things. He is ... our rest.

Disciplined Obedience

We all enjoy an occasional change of scenery - perhaps an alternate porch view or simply a different route home. In our spiritual lives, we often need a change of view! For those of us who have known Jesus for the majority of our lives, our view of obedience to Christ may have diminished over time. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10: "We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ." (Verse 5 AMP). Real disciplined obedience to Christ is much more than simply doing this-or-that in service to Him. Jesus Himself modeled disciplined obedience, and He said: "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner." (John 5:19 NASB). How easily we forget as followers of Jesus we are "not only committed to Jesus Christ for salvation, but also committed, responsible, and accountable to Jesus Christ's view of God, the world, and of sin and the devil." (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest). Seeing all things as God sees them then humbly allowing Him to counsel and guide us into humble and joyful obedience - yes, that is ... disciplined obedience.

Be in Him

This morning as I walked past the rose bushes planted outside our house, I notice something unsightly. Growing out of the same rich soil producing lovely aromatic roses was a full-grown and healthy thorn bush! Thinking to myself, that must go, I hesitated; because of its size, I realized to remove it would be no small task. Let me suggest in every Believer's life, the danger of neglect is overlooked and understated. Scripture teaches a key principle: it is our own selfish desires that give birth to sin (James 1:14). The fruit of the Believer's life - or lack of it - is based solely on how well we are connected and abiding in The Right Source. Jesus said, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me." (John 15:4 ESV). Yes, both the thorn and the rose bush appeared healthy yet it was only one that had blooms and a sweet aroma. As followers of Jesus, we are commanded to "put to death what is earthly in you" (Colossians 3:5 ESV) - mortify, kill, destroy that sin that leads to unsightliness in us. We must not neglect this! Charles Spurgeon writes, "O Christian, prize this precious union to Christ; for it must be the source of all the fruitfulness which thou canst hope to know. If thou wert not joined to Jesus Christ, thou wouldst be a barren bough indeed." (Morning by Morning). Let us never neglect to abide in Jesus Christ - daily and continually in His Word and in sweet communion with Him - allowing Him to nourish and prune us to be that sweet smelling aroma unto God ... be in Him.